Are Roman Catholics Correct about SDA: Part 4

[miz3]

Adventist Anti-Catholicism

As is clear from some of the beliefs listed above, Adventist theology is intensely anti-Catholic. Many Catholics who do not frequently come in contact with Adventists or their literature do not realize just how hostile they can be toward the Church.

Trying to give others the benefit of the doubt, Catholics may suppose that anti-Catholicism is part of Adventism’s radical fringe. Unfortunately, this is untrue. Adventists who are moderate on Catholicism are a minority. Anti-Catholicism characterizes the denomination because it is embraced in White’s "divinely inspired" writings. A few illustrations help indicate the scope of the problem:

"Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots . . . is further declared to be ‘that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.’ Revelation 17:4–6, 18. The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom is Rome. The purple and scarlet color, the gold and precious stones and pearls, vividly picture the magnificence and more than kingly pomp affected by the haughty see of Rome" (The Great Controversy, 338).

"It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope is the visible head of the universal Church of Christ . . . and has been declared infallible. He demands the homage of all men. The same claim urged by Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged by him [satan] through the Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready to yield him homage" (ibid., 48).

"Marvelous in her shrewdness and cunning is the Roman Church. She can read what is to be. She bides her time, seeing that the Protestant churches are paying her homage in their acceptance of the false Sabbath. . . . And let it be remembered, it is the boast of Rome that she never changes. The principles of Gregory VII and Innocent III are still the principles of the Roman Catholic Church. And has she but the power, she would put them in practice with as much vigor now as in past centuries. . . . Rome is aiming to reestablish her power, to recover her lost supremacy" (ibid., 507–8).

"God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be1 repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution" ( ibid., 508–9).

Strong stuff! Unfortunately, most Adventists believe this. Bear in mind that these quotes are not taken from an obscure work of White’s that nobody ever reads. They are from what is probably her single most popular volume, The Great Controversy.

Quote:

NIHIL OBSTAT: I have concluded that the materials

presented in this work are free of doctrinal or moral errors.

Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004

IMPRIMATUR: In accord with 1983 CIC 827

permission to publish this work is hereby granted.

+Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004

Catholic Answers, 2020 Gillespie Way, El Cajon, CA 92020 USA

Main: 619-387-7200 | Fax: 619-387-0042

U.S. Orders: 888-291-8000 | Non-U.S. Orders: 619-387-7200

Copyright © 1979-2008 Catholic Answers. All Rights Reserved.

Usage outside our Permissions Guidelines requires our prior written consent.

Again, are the Roman Catholics correct in their views about SDA?

[Gerr]

Most Adventists that I know of are NOT anti-catholics. They are anti-false doctrines. If stating the truth is being anti-catholic, then so be it.

[Stan]

[BobRyan]

telling the truth about the role in the RCC in the dark ages is not a matter of "anti-Catholic" or even "fringe this or that". Some of the most enthusiastic Adventists who speak out on the subject of the Catholic Church's work during the dark ages - are themselves former Catholics who still have Catholic family and friends.

Turns out - Luther and Calvin were Catholics - not Lutherans.

Telling the truth -- has to do with the difference between loving light vs darkness.

Telling the truth when the Bible highlights that truth as being very significant (the way it is presented in Dan 7, Dan 8, Rev 12, Rev 17 etc) is "again" to love light instead of darkness.

Some "bible-optional" groups will claim that if you admit to and accept what the Bible says in certain chapters - then you are mean spirited, unchristian or at the very least - not politically correct.

Those who wish to live by the religion of political correctness as the highest standard of truth are accorded the free will to make such choices.

But they should not be entirely shocked that all of us do not join them.

in Christ,

Bob

[BobRyan]

BTW - the OP question has been addressed a bunch of different times on duplicate starter threads for this topic -

One example of those times where it was addressed is here -

http://clubadventist.com/forum/ubbthread...html#Post446931

[phkrause]

Most Adventists that I know of are NOT anti-catholics. They are anti-false doctrines. If stating the truth is being anti-catholic, then so be it.

[Overaged]

Just a friendly reminder: I think you had better check the permission guidelines for quoting materials from the CAF. Did you get their written permission to post all this material?

As far as "anti-Catholicism" goes on the part of Adventists; lets look at that in the face of what the Roman Catholic Church teaches.

They are actually very anti-Protestant:

Quote:

Thus was formulated that sentence which puts the Church's claim to be the only source of salvation in the most concise form: "Outside the Church no salvation" (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus). The Fourth Lateran Council (A.D. 1215) adopted this formula verbatim. In the so-called Athanasian Creed, which the Church admits among her confessions of faith, it is fully paraphrased: "Whosoever wishes to be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. And if a man do not keep this faith inviolate and intact without doubt he will perish." More unmistakable still is the declaration of the Council of Florence that all pagans, Jews, heretics and schismatics have forfeited eternal life and are destined to everlasting fire.

taken from Karl Adams, "The Spirit Of Catholicism," chapter ten called The Church Necessary For Salvation.

Karl Adams is a renowned RC theologion, whom they revere as one who explains their faith correctly. It is interesting to see how they try to prevent potential new converts to their church from reading his material.

Adventists are far from "anti-Catholic". This is an apologetics ruse by RC leadership to try to do damage control, because the leadership knows full well that we are anti-false doctrine, and that we have nothing to do with "hatred"